Sense of Inquiry
First, an innovator needs a sense of inquiry or curiosity. Maintaining currency
in practice is critical. How many nursing articles will a nurse read to stay
abreast of changes in practice? When in nursing school, reading is automatic.
However, as a graduate nurse, it is not uncommon to dislike reading nursing
journals. New graduates tend to focus on technical nursing tasks, leaving less
time to reflect on their practice. Bjorkstrom, Athlin, and Johansson (2008)
explored new graduates’ perceptions of their professionalism after graduation
and found that they rated themselves low in “knowledge mastery” and “desire
to contribute through research” (p. 1386). However, reading the latest infor-
mation in one’s field is vital for maintaining a fresh practice in the constantly
changing nursing world.
Thinking critically about a nursing dilemma is a part of this characteristic.
How might a practice problem be solved? What is new evidence to improve a
practice? Following one’s sense of inquiry can lead to improved patient care.
One example is when a nurse noted that a policy about staff accompaniment
for patients going off the unit for tests and procedures was flawed. This nurse
discussed it with supervisors, gathered input for needed changes, and then
moved the policy revisions through the necessary practice committees in that
institution to make a change. In this example, both staff and patients benefited
from the enhancement.
The decision to be an innovator begins with knowledge. According to Rogers
(2003), information seeking and information processing are foundational and
a means to gain an understanding about a proposed change or problem. Data
to support EBP planning, implementation, and evaluation must be “credible
and persuasive” (Bradley et al., 2004, p. 6), so practicing one’s sense of inquiry
should be a daily behavior. A sense of inquiry to continually seek knowledge
and critique the evidence is key (Titler, 2001).
Having a sense of inquiry or curiosity is analogous to being a critical
thinker. Inherent in obtaining knowledge for an innovator are critical thinking
strategies. Richard Paul’s (1990) theory of critical thinking includes a set of
interdependent or micro skills. These skills include (1) identifying the problem
for practice; (2) deciphering the purpose by reading critically to understand
the why behind the problem; (3) uncovering assumptions that may include
personal or institutional biases; (4) recognizing and using different paradigms,
such as looking at the evidence in different ways; (5) demonstrating different
methods of reasoning by examining values and rationale behind decisions for
change; (6) examining data, which entails an understanding of statistical or
other methods for critiquing; (7) creating alternate solutions using creativityKEY TERMS
innovator: One who
is willing to try new
things
leader: One who
takes initiative
for change and
empowers others
sense of inquiry:
Curiosity
flexibility to
change: Being open
and positive about
change
awareness:
Understanding
about oneself and
the world
communication:
Process of creating
and sharing
information with
one another to
reach mutual
understanding
critical thinking:
Skill set that
involves critical
appraisal of
information450 CHAPTER 17 Developing Oneself as an Innovator